Modular shelving assembly

ABSTRACT

A modular shelving assembly for use in a vehicle, including a cargo space at least partially defined by a floor and a side wall of the vehicle, includes at least two interconnected upright assemblies. Each of the upright assemblies includes a first panel, a second panel, and a coupler member separate from and unitizing the first and second panels. The modular shelving assembly further includes a rail secured to one of the floor and the side wall to which at least one of the interconnected upright assemblies is anchored.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/198,966 filed on Mar. 6, 2014, which claims priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application Nos. 61/773,491 and 61/773,648 filed onMar. 6, 2013, the entire contents of all of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a modular shelving assembly and, moreparticularly, to a modular shelving assembly for use in a utility orcargo vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such shelving assemblies provide a materials management system fortradespeople and other workers (e.g., carpenters, plumbers, painters,electricians, etc.) that fit within any number of vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides, in one aspect, a modular shelving assembly foruse in a vehicle including a cargo space at least partially defined by afloor and a side wall of the vehicle. The shelving assembly includes atleast two interconnected upright assemblies. Each of the uprightassemblies includes a first panel, a second panel, and a coupler memberseparate from and unitizing the first and second panels. The modularshelving assembly further includes a rail secured to one of the floorand the side wall to which at least one of the interconnected uprightassemblies is anchored.

The invention provides, in another aspect, a modular shelving assemblyfor use in a vehicle including a cargo space at least partially definedby a floor and a side wall of the vehicle. The shelving assemblyincludes a first panel, a second panel identical to the first panel, acargo supporting member interconnecting the first and second panels, anda rail secured to at least one of the floor and the side wall to whichat least one of the first and second panels is anchored. The first andsecond panels are slidable along the rail to reposition the panelswithin the cargo space of the vehicle.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the modular shelving assembly ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is front view of the modular shelving assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an upright assembly incorporated in themodular shelving assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A is a perspective view of an upright assembly according toanother aspect of the invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the upright assembly of FIG.4.

FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view of the upright assembly of FIG.4A.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the upright assembly of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of a portion of the upright assembly shownin FIG. 6.

FIG. 7A is a front view of another upright assembly including one panel.

FIG. 7B is a front view of the upright assembly of FIG. 4 including twopanels.

FIG. 7C is a front view of another upright assembly including threepanels.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an anchor assembly incorporated in themodular shelving assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8A is a perspective view of an alternative anchor assembly to thatshown in FIG. 8 for use in the modular shelving assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of another anchor assembly incorporated inthe modular shelving assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9B is an exploded perspective view of the anchor assembly of FIG.9A.

FIG. 9C is a perspective view of an alternative anchor assembly to thatshown in FIG. 9A for use in the modular shelving assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 9D is an exploded perspective view of the anchor assembly of FIG.9C.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of yet another anchor assemblyincorporated in the modular shelving assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a cabinet incorporated in the modularshelving assembly of FIG. 1, including two upright assemblies of FIG. 4.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cabinet ofFIG. 11, including a plurality of fixed shelves.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of one of the fixed shelves of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cabinet ofFIG. 11, including a plurality of drawers.

FIG. 15 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cabinet ofFIG. 11, with part of an upright assembly removed to illustrate theplurality of drawers.

FIG. 16A is a perspective view of one of the drawers of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16B is another perspective view of one of the drawers of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the cabinet of FIG.11.

FIG. 18 is cross-sectional view of the cabinet assembly of FIG. 11,illustrating a plurality of latching springs incorporated on a drawer.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of another cabinet incorporated in themodular shelving assembly of FIG. 1, including two upright assemblies ofFIG. 4.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the cabinet ofFIG. 11 fastened to a shelf.

FIG. 21 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention, including aplurality of upright assemblies of FIG. 7C.

FIG. 22 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 23 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 24 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 25 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a cabinet including two uprightassemblies of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a cabinet in accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 29 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 30 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with a further embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 31 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 32 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with yet another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 33 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with further embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 34 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 35 is a front perspective view of a modular shelving assembly inaccordance with yet another embodiment.

FIG. 36 is a perspective view of the modular shelving assembly of FIG. 1installed in a cargo vehicle.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a modular shelving assembly 10 including a firstcabinet 14 and a second cabinet 18. Each of the cabinets 14, 18 includestwo upright assemblies 22 and a plurality of material supporting members(which are discussed in further detail below) supported by the uprightassemblies 22. The shelving assembly 10 is utilized in a vehicle (e.g.,vehicle V in FIG. 36) including a cargo space at least partially definedby a floor and a side wall of the vehicle.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the upright assemblies 22includes two identical panels 26 coupled together, or unitized, by anI-beam coupler 34 (FIG. 5). The panels 26 are constructed of alightweight plastic material (e.g., a HDPE structural foam).Alternatively, the panels 26 may be made of any of a number ofmaterials. With continued reference to FIG. 5, each of the panels 26includes two edge rails 38, and a plurality of ledges 42 and ribs 46extending between the two edge rails 38. Each of the panels 26 alsoincludes a plurality of bores 50 configured to receive threadedfasteners positioned along the edge rails 38, the ledges 42, and theribs 46. The bores 50 in the ledges 42 are blind and threaded forreceiving threaded fasteners. Each of the upright assemblies 22 alsoincludes structural vertical channels 54, each having a “C” shape,fastened to the edge rails 38 of the panels 26. Each of the uprightassemblies 22 further includes a cap 58 to cover the top edge of theuppermost panel 26 and two coupler covers 62, with one on each side ofthe I-beam coupler 34.

With reference to FIGS. 6 and 6A, the I-beam coupler 34 is positionedbetween the two panels 26. The coupler covers 62 cover the I-beamcoupler 34 and are positioned between a ledge 42 on the bottom panel 26and a ledge 42 on the uppermost panel 26. Fasteners (not shown) arepassed through apertures in the coupler cover 62 and I-beam coupler 34corresponding to bores 50 on ribs 46 of the panels 26.

With reference to FIGS. 4A and 5A, an upright assembly 22A according toanother aspect of the invention is shown with two identical panels 26Acoupled together or unitized by structural vertical channels 54A (i.e.,coupler members), each having a “C” shape. The panels 26A areconstructed of a lightweight plastic material (e.g., a HDPE structuralfoam). Alternatively, the panels 26A may be made of any of a number ofmaterials. With continued reference to FIG. 5A, each of the panels 26Aincludes two edge rails 38A, and a plurality of ledges 42A and ribs 46Aextending between the two edge rails 38A. Each of the panels 26A alsoincludes a plurality of bores 50A configured to receive threadedfasteners positioned along the edge rails 38A and the ribs 46A. Thestructural vertical channels 54A are fastened to the edge rails 38A ofthe panels 26A using the bores 50A. Each of the upright assemblies 22Afurther includes a cap 58A to cover the top edge of the uppermost panel26A. With further reference to FIG. 5A, the adjacent panels 26A arestacked in an end-to-end configuration with a rib 46A on the bottompanel 26A abutting a rib 46A on the uppermost panel 26A.

With reference to FIGS. 7A-7C, the shelving assembly 10 may includeupright assemblies having any number of panels 26. For example, theshelving assembly 10 may include one or more upright assemblies 66having a single panel 26 (FIG. 7A), or one or more upright assemblies 70having three interconnected panels 26 (FIG. 7C). The upright assembliescan be configured with any number of panels 26 in accordance with thespatial limitations of a cargo vehicle and/or the intended use of theshelving assembly 10. Accordingly, any number of modular shelvingassemblies can therefore be created by the user to best meet their needsby utilizing upright assemblies of various heights, while utilizingcommon components.

With reference to FIGS. 8, 9A, and 9B, the modular shelving assembly 10includes different anchor assemblies 74, 98 for fastening the uprightassembly 22 to an interior floor of a cargo vehicle. The anchor assembly74 includes a floor mounting rail 78 and a floor mounting bracket 82.The floor mounting rail 78 is independently secured to the floor of thecargo vehicle within the vehicle's cargo space by any of a number ofdifferent fasteners, and includes a channel 86 configured to slidablyreceive a head 85 of a fastener 87 (FIG. 9B) within the channel 86. Thefloor mounting rail 78 includes spaced scallops 88 through whichcorresponding lobes of the fastener head 85 are inserted, and oncewithin the channel 86, the fastener 87 can be moved to any positionalong the rail 78. In the illustrated embodiment of either of the anchorassemblies 74, 98, the fastener 87 includes a threaded shank protrudingfrom the channel 86. A spacer 89 may be positioned between the rail 78and the floor mounting bracket 82.

With continued reference to FIG. 9B, the floor mounting bracket 82includes a slot 90 through which the fastener 87 extends, and a nut 91is threaded to the fastener 87 for clamping the floor mounting bracket82 to the rail 78, thereby securing the floor mounting bracket 82 in aparticular location along the length of the rail 78. In turn, the floormounting bracket 82 is fastened to the upright assemblies 22 of thecabinet 18 (via flanges 94), thereby securing the cabinet 18 to thefloor of the cargo vehicle. The floor mounting bracket 82 (and thereforethe connected upright assemblies 22) are adjustable relative to the rail78 by an amount corresponding to the length of the slot 90 to provide a“fine” adjustment capability within the cargo space of the vehiclewithout detaching either of the upright assemblies 22 of the cabinet 18from the rail 78. If additional or “coarse” adjustment of the uprightassemblies 22 (and therefore the cabinet 18) is required, the nuts 91need only to be loosened a sufficient amount to release the clampingforce holding the fastener 87 and bracket 82 together. Once the fastener87 is no longer clamped with the rail 78, the floor mounting bracket 82may slide along the floor mounting rail 78 (and the fastener 87 mayslide through the channel 86) to reposition the cabinet 18 within thecargo space of the vehicle without detaching either of the uprightassemblies 22 of the cabinet 18 from the rail 78.

FIG. 8 illustrates the anchor assembly 74 being used for mounting theupright assembly 22 in an orientation that is parallel with the floormounting rail 78, while FIG. 9A illustrates the anchor assembly 98 beingused for mounting the upright assembly 22 in an orientation that isperpendicular to the floor mounting rail 78. Consequently, the cabinets14, 18 may be secured to the floor mounting rail 78 (and the wallmounting rail 110 described below) in one of four orientationscoinciding with the front, the rear, and the left and right sides of thecargo space of the vehicle depending upon the particular usage of thecabinet 14, 18 and the desired manner of accessing the shelves and/ordrawers of the cabinets. With continued reference to FIG. 9A, the anchorassembly 98 further includes a cross member 102 that extends along thefloor mounting bracket 82 to interconnect the two upright assemblies 22of the cabinet 18. The cross member 102 provides structuralreinforcement to the upright assemblies 22 for maintaining the spacingbetween the upright assemblies 22 along their height. Although notshown, additional cross members 102 may be utilized to connect the upperportions of the upright assemblies 22 of the cabinet 18.

With reference to FIGS. 8A, 9C, and 9D, the modular shelving assembly 10may include alternative anchor assemblies 274, 298 for fastening uprightassemblies to an interior floor of a cargo vehicle. With reference toFIG. 8A, the anchor assembly 274 includes the floor mounting rail 78 andtwo brackets 282 secured to each upright assembly 22. As previouslydescribed, the floor mounting rail 78 is independently secured to thefloor of the cargo vehicle within the vehicle's cargo space by any of anumber of different fasteners, and includes a channel 86 configured toslidably receive a head 285 of a fastener 287 (FIG. 9D) within thechannel 86. The floor mounting rail 78 includes spaced scallops 88 (FIG.8A) through which corresponding lobes of the fastener head 285 areinserted, and once within the channel 86, the fastener 287 can be movedto any position along the rail 78. In the illustrated embodiment ofeither of the anchor assemblies 274, 298, the fastener 287 includes athreaded shank protruding from the channel 86. A spacer 289 having lobes292 (FIG. 9D) may be positioned between the bracket 282 and a nut 291.More specifically, the spacer 289 is mounted coaxially with the fastener287 with the lobes 292 extending into one of the scallops 88 to preventthe fastener 287 from further sliding along the channel 86. In thisposition of the fastener 287 within the rail 78, the lobes on the head285 prevent the fastener 287 from being pulled out of the channel 86,and the spacer 289 interlocks the fastener 287 into alignment with oneof the scallops 88.

With continued reference to FIG. 9D, each of the brackets 282 includes aslot 290 through which the fastener 287 extends, and the nut 291 isthreaded to the fastener 287 for clamping the bracket 282 to the rail78, thereby securing the bracket 282 in a particular location along thelength of the rail 78. The lobes 292 are located radially inward of theouter periphery of the spacer 289 and are extendable through the slot290 in an associated bracket 282 and into the scallops 88, while theannular portion of the spacer between the outer periphery and the lobesis engageable with the floor of the bracket 282 for clamping the bracket282 against the rail 78. The bracket 282 is fastened to the uprightassemblies 22 via flanges 294, thereby securing the upright assemblies22 to the floor of the cargo vehicle. The bracket 282 (and therefore theconnected upright assemblies 22) are adjustable relative to the rail 78by an amount corresponding to the length of the slot 290 to provide a“fine” adjustment capability within the cargo space of the vehiclewithout detaching either of the upright assemblies 22 from the rail 78.If additional or “coarse” adjustment of the upright assemblies 22 isrequired, with each of the anchor assemblies 274, 298, the nuts 291 needonly to be loosened a sufficient amount to permit the spacers 289 to bepulled upward and away from the rail 78, thereby removing the lobes 292from the associated scallops 88 in the rail 78. Once the spacers 289 areno longer interlocked with the rail 78, the brackets 282 may slide alongthe floor mounting rail 78 (and the fastener 287 may slide through thechannel 86) to reposition the upright assemblies 22 within the cargospace of the vehicle without detaching either of the upright assemblies22 from the rail 78.

FIG. 8A illustrates the anchor assembly 274 being used for mounting theupright assembly 22 in an orientation that is parallel with the floormounting rail 78, while FIG. 9C illustrates the anchor assembly 298being used for mounting the upright assembly 22 in an orientation thatis perpendicular to the floor mounting rail 78. Consequently, thecabinets 14, 18 may be secured to the floor mounting rail 78 (and thewall mounting rail 110 described below) in one of four orientationscoinciding with the front, the rear, and the left and right sides of thecargo space of the vehicle depending upon the particular usage of thecabinet 14, 18 and the desired manner of accessing the shelves and/ordrawers of the cabinets. With continued reference to FIG. 8A, the anchorassembly 274 further includes a cross member 202 that extends betweenrespective floor mounting brackets 82 (only one of which is shown inFIG. 8A) mounted to spaced, parallel upright assemblies 22 forinterconnecting the two upright assemblies 22 of the cabinet 18. Thecross member 202 may be fastened to both the upright assembly 22 (i.e.,through the flange 294 of the universal bracket 282) and to theuniversal bracket 282 itself. The cross member 202 provides structuralreinforcement to the other of the upright assemblies 22 in the cabinet18 that is not directly attached to the floor mounting rail 78. The useof two brackets 282 and a cross members 202 interconnecting the brackets282 may be considered a single contiguous bracket interconnectingadjacent upright assemblies 22.

FIG. 10 illustrates another anchor assembly 106 for fastening an uprightassembly 22 to an interior wall of the cargo vehicle within thevehicle's cargo space. The anchor assembly 106 includes a wall mountingrail 110, identical to the floor mounting rail 78, and a wall mountingbracket 114. The wall mounting rail 110 is independently secured to theinterior wall of the cargo vehicle by any of a number of differentfasteners, and includes a channel 118 configured to slidably receive ahead 120 of a threaded fastener 122. The fastener 122 is identical tofastener 87 shown in FIG. 9B, and protrudes through a slot 126 in thewall mounting bracket 114. A nut 121 is threaded to the fastener 122 toclamp the wall mounting bracket 114 to the wall mounting rail 110. Aspacer similar to that shown in FIG. 9B or that shown in FIG. 9D may bepositioned between the bracket 114 and the rail 110. Thus, the uprightassemblies 22 (and therefore the cabinet 18) are slidable along the wallmounting rail 110 in the same manner as any of the anchor assemblies 74,98, 274, 298 described above with the floor mounting rail 78 toreposition the cabinet 18 within the cargo space of the vehicle withoutdetaching either of the upright assemblies 22 from the rail 110.

FIG. 11 illustrates the first cabinet 14 of the modular shelvingassembly 10. The cabinet 14 includes two upright assemblies 22, with oneof the upright assemblies 22 fastened to the floor mounting rail 78. Thetwo upright assemblies 22 are interconnected with the cross members 102,only one of which is shown in FIG. 11. In addition, the first cabinetincludes a plurality of fixed shelves 130 (FIGS. 11 and 12) and aplurality of large and small drawers 134, 138 (FIGS. 13-17) supportedbetween the upright assemblies 22.

With reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, the fixed shelves 130 extend betweenand are secured to two upright assemblies 22 though mounting apertures142 in the shelves 130. The shelves 130 are fixed to the uprightassemblies 22 between the ledges 42, with fasteners passing throughmounting apertures 142 and received by the bores 50 in the ribs 46 andthe rails 38 of opposed upright assemblies 22. In addition, the fixedshelves 130 include a mounting slot 146 to aid in securing otheradditional elements to the modular shelving assembly 10. Although notrequired, one of the fixed shelves 130 may be positioned near the top ofthe cabinet 14 to provide structural support and to tie together the twoupright assemblies 22.

With reference to FIGS. 14-18, each of the drawers 134, 138 includes tworear springs 150 (FIGS. 16A and 16B) and a front spring 154 (FIG. 16A).Illustrated in FIG. 15, with the panels 26 of one of the uprightassemblies 22 being removed for clarity, the spring 154 engages one ofthe vertical channels 54 to releasably lock the drawers 134, 138 in ashut or closed position (see also FIG. 18). The front spring 154includes a tab 158 to be actuated by the user to disengage the frontspring 154 from the channel 54 to release the drawers 134, 138, allowingthem to slide forwardly relative to the two upright assemblies 22. FIG.18 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the drawer 134 in the shutposition between the two upright assemblies 22. The front spring 154prevents the drawer 134 from opening by engaging one of the verticalchannels 54 of the upright assembly 22. To open the drawer 134, a userdepresses the tab 158 toward the drawer 134, thereby deflecting thespring 154 away from the vertical channel 54 a sufficient amount toclear the channel 54. The user then needs only to pull the drawer 134 toopen it. The rear springs 150 limit the extent to which the drawers 134,138 may be opened by contacting the vertical channels 54. The drawers134, 138 further include a channel 162 on each side to slidably receivethe ledges 42 of the upright assemblies 22 to thereby support thedrawers 134, 138 on the upright assemblies 22 (FIGS. 16A-17). Thedrawers 134, 138 may slide along the ledges 42 to an extended positionuntil the back springs 150 engage the vertical channel 54, therebypreventing the extent to which the drawers 134, 138 may be opened.

FIG. 19 illustrates the second cabinet 18 of the modular shelvingassembly 10 fastened to the floor mounting rail 78. The second cabinet18 includes fixed shelves 130, small drawers 138, and a bottle rack 166extending between and fastened to the two upright assemblies 22. Thebottle rack 166 is configured to hold, for example, a Freon tank T (FIG.25). A bottle rack back plate 170 extends between and is fastened to thetwo upright assemblies 22 to provide a back stop for the bottle or tank.

With reference to FIGS. 1-3 and 20, the first cabinet 14 and the secondcabinet 18 are interconnected by shelves 174. The shelves 174 vary indepth (e.g., 12 inches deep, 16 inches deep, etc.) to accommodatecurvature in the interior side wall of the cargo vehicle. The shelves174 may be positioned between two ledges 42 of respective opposedupright assemblies 22 and fastened to one or more of the bores 50 withinthe ribs 46. Alternatively, the shelves 174 may be fastened to a shelfbracket 178 spanning across two upright assemblies 22 (FIG. 20) when theupright assemblies 22 are oriented generally parallel with the shelves174.

With reference to FIGS. 21-26, additional modular shelving assembliesaccording to other embodiments of the invention are illustrated withsimilar features identified with like reference numerals. Uprightassemblies provide the building blocks for any number of differentconfigurations to best accommodate the user. FIG. 21 illustrates amodular shelving assembly 200 according to one embodiment of theinvention including the same upright assemblies 70 shown in FIG. 7C. Oneof the upright assemblies 70, rather than being used to create acabinet, provides an intermediate support structure to which severalshelves 174 are fastened. FIG. 22 illustrates a modular shelvingassembly 300 according to another embodiment of the invention includingthe same upright assemblies 22 as those shown in FIGS. 1-5. FIG. 23illustrates a modular shelving assembly 400 according to yet anotherembodiment of the invention including the same upright assemblies 22 asthose shown in FIGS. 1-5, and further including accessories such as aswinging door 182 and a spool rack 186 for electrical wire. FIG. 24illustrates a modular shelving assembly 500 according to a furtherembodiment of the invention including the same upright assemblies 22 asthose shown in FIGS. 1-5, and further including accessories such as sidetroughs 192 to hold, for example, hardware components. FIG. 25illustrates a modular shelving assembly 600 according to anotherembodiment of the invention including the upright assemblies 70 shown inFIG. 7C. The modular shelving assembly 600 is configured to carrymultiple tanks T on the bottle racks 160. FIG. 26 illustrates a modularshelving assembly 700 according to yet another embodiment of theinvention including only two upright assemblies 22 with multiple shelves174 spanning between the upright assemblies 22, and multiplesingle-panel upright assemblies 66 below the shelves 174.

With reference to FIGS. 27-35, additional modular shelving assembliesaccording to other embodiments of the invention are illustrated withsimilar features identified with like reference numerals. The modularshelving assemblies of FIGS. 27-35 use upright assemblies formed fromthe panels 26A, shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A. FIG. 27 illustrates a modularshelving assembly 800 according to one embodiment of the inventionincluding the same upright assemblies 22A shown in FIG. 4A. FIG. 28illustrates a modular shelving assembly 900 according to yet anotherembodiment of the invention including upright assemblies having threepanels 26A coupled together. FIG. 29 illustrates a modular shelvingassembly 1000 according to another embodiment of the invention includingthree upright assemblies 22A. FIG. 30 illustrates a modular shelvingassembly 1100 according to yet another embodiment of the inventionincluding three upright assemblies 22A. FIG. 31 illustrates a modularshelving assembly 1200 according to another embodiment of the inventionincluding upright assemblies each having three panels 26A. FIG. 32illustrates a modular shelving assembly 1300 according to yet anotherembodiment of the invention including upright assemblies each havingthree panels 26A. FIG. 33 illustrates a modular shelving assembly 1400according to another embodiment of the invention including two uprightassemblies 22A. FIG. 34 illustrates a modular shelving assembly 1500according to yet another embodiment of the invention including twoupright assemblies 22A and two upright assemblies having a single panel26A. FIG. 35 illustrates a modular shelving assembly 1600 according toanother embodiment of the invention including two upright assemblieshaving a single panel 26A.

With reference to FIG. 36, an installation of the modular shelvingassembly 10 is illustrated inside a cargo vehicle V, with the assembly10 being oriented substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of thevehicle V. The floor mounting rail 78 and the wall mounting rail 110 areshown attached to the floor and the side wall of the vehicle V,respectively.

As described above, the constituent parts of the shelving assembly 10are reconfigurable and repositionable to create shelving assemblies ofdifferent shapes, sizes, and orientations depending upon the intendedusage of the shelving assembly 10, while reducing the number offasteners utilized in the assembly 10 compared to a traditional shelvingassembly for use in a utility or cargo vehicle.

Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A modular shelving assembly for use in a vehicleincluding a cargo space at least partially defined by a floor and a sidewall of the vehicle, the shelving assembly comprising: at least twointerconnected upright assemblies, each including a first panel, asecond panel, and a coupler member separate from and unitizing the firstand second panels; and a rail secured to one of the floor and the sidewall to which at least one of the interconnected upright assemblies isanchored.
 2. The modular shelving assembly of claim 1, wherein the railis a first rail secured to the floor, and wherein the modular shelvingassembly further includes a second rail secured to the side wall towhich at least one of the interconnected upright assemblies is anchored.3. The modular shelving assembly of claim 2, wherein the interconnectedupright assemblies are slidable along the first and second rails toreposition the upright assemblies within the cargo space of the vehicle.4. The modular shelving assembly of claim 3, wherein the interconnectedupright assemblies are slidable along the first and second rails withoutdetaching the upright assemblies from the rails.
 5. The modular shelvingassembly of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second rails includesa channel, and wherein the shelving assembly further includes a firstfastener extending from the first rail and having a head slidablyreceived within the channel of the first rail, and a second fastenerextending from the second rail and having a head slidably receivedwithin the channel of the second rail.
 6. The modular shelving assemblyof claim 5, further comprising a first bracket secured to the first railby the first fastener, wherein the first bracket is also secured to atleast one of the upright assemblies, thereby anchoring the uprightassembly to the vehicle floor.
 7. The modular shelving assembly of claim6, wherein the two upright assemblies are positioned side by side withinthe vehicle cargo space, and wherein the first bracket is secured toboth of the upright assemblies, thereby anchoring the upright assembliesto the vehicle floor and interconnecting the upright assemblies to eachother.
 8. The modular shelving assembly of claim 7, wherein the firstbracket includes first and second flanges, respectively, to which thetwo upright assemblies are fastened.
 9. The modular shelving assembly ofclaim 6, wherein the first bracket includes first and second flangesboth fastened to one of the upright assemblies.
 10. The modular shelvingassembly of claim 6, wherein the first bracket includes a slot throughwhich the first fastener extends, wherein the slot is elongated in alength dimension of the first rail, thereby permitting the first bracketto be adjustable relative to the first rail along the length of thefirst rail.
 11. The modular shelving assembly of claim 6, furthercomprising a second bracket secured to the second rail by the secondfastener, wherein the second bracket is also secured to at least one ofthe upright assemblies, thereby anchoring the upright assembly to thevehicle side wall.
 12. The modular shelving assembly of claim 1, furthercomprising a cargo supporting member interconnecting the at least twoupright assemblies.
 13. The modular shelving assembly of claim 12,wherein the cargo supporting member is configured as one of a drawer, ashelf, and a rack.
 14. The modular shelving assembly of claim 13,wherein the cargo supporting member is configured as a drawer, andwherein the modular shelving assembly further includes a shelfinterconnecting the at least two upright assemblies.
 15. The modularshelving assembly of claim 1, wherein the coupler member unitizes thefirst and second panels in an end-to-end configuration.
 16. The modularshelving assembly of claim 15, wherein at least two of theinterconnected upright assemblies further includes a third panel, and asecond coupler member unitizing the second and third panels in anend-to-end configuration.
 17. The modular shelving assembly of claim 15,wherein the coupler member is configured as an I-beam.
 18. The modularshelving assembly of claim 15, wherein the coupler member is configuredas a C-channel.
 19. The modular shelving assembly of claim 1, whereineach of the upright assemblies includes a first vertical support channelextending along a first edge of the first panel and a first edge of thesecond panel, and a second vertical support channel extending along asecond edge of the first panel and a second edge of the second panel.20. The modular shelving assembly of claim 19, wherein the first andsecond vertical support channels are fastened to the first and secondpanels, thereby unitizing the first and second panels.
 21. The modularshelving assembly of claim 19, wherein the coupler member is one of thefirst and second vertical support channels.
 22. The modular shelvingassembly of claim 1, wherein the at least two upright assembliescomprise first and second upright assemblies, wherein the modularshelving assembly further includes third and fourth interconnectedupright assemblies, each of which is substantially identical to thefirst and second upright assemblies, and wherein at least one of thethird and fourth upright assemblies is anchored to the rail.
 23. Themodular shelving assembly of claim 22, wherein the first and secondupright assemblies comprise a first cabinet, and wherein the third andfourth upright assemblies comprise a second cabinet orientedsubstantially transversely to the first cabinet.
 24. A modular shelvingassembly for use in a vehicle including a cargo space at least partiallydefined by a floor and a side wall of the vehicle, the shelving assemblycomprising: a first panel; a second panel identical to the first panel;a cargo supporting member interconnecting the first and second panels;and a rail secured to at least one of the floor and the side wall towhich at least one of the first and second panels is anchored, whereinthe first and second panels are slidable along the rail to repositionthe panels within the cargo space of the vehicle.
 25. The modularshelving assembly of claim 24, wherein the first and second panels areslidable along the rail without detaching the panels from the rail. 26.The modular shelving assembly of claim 24, wherein rail includes achannel, and wherein the shelving assembly further includes a fastenerextending from the rail and having a head slidably received within thechannel of the rail.
 27. The modular shelving assembly of claim 26,further comprising a bracket secured to the rail by the fastener,wherein the bracket is also secured to at least one of the first andsecond panels, thereby anchoring the at least one of the first andsecond panels to the vehicle floor.